Welding is a common industrial occupation in North Carolina and across the country. The hazards of working around extreme heat and light are obvious to anyone, but a recent jury verdict in a product liability case has revealed another hazard: the presence of asbestos in the core of the welding sticks that are used to create the welding arc.
What's toughest to prove in cases of asbestos product exposure?
You may have heard of asbestos in the late-night law ads played on cable television. But what is asbestos and why is it so dangerous? Many of the problems attributed to asbestos are due to products produced or handled years ago that contained asbestos before we knew that it was unsafe and harmful. Some afflicted with asbestos product exposure know that it is their right to seek compensation for the wrongs they have suffered due to asbestos-related illness.
Sen. Boxer introduces bill to ban asbestos exposure
Most people in North Carolina and elsewhere assume that the United States has prohibited the use of asbestos because of the extreme health risks that are associated with its use. Surprisingly, no such ban has ever been enacted at the federal level. The Environmental Protection Agency has recently been directed to identify the 10 most harmful substances used by American industry, and asbestos may be on this list when it is published. In the meantime, a more definitive step to ban asbestos was recently taken by California Sen. Barbara Boxer, who introduced legislation that is intended to completely eliminate human exposure to asbestos.
North Carolina nurse beats peritoneal mesothelioma
Persons who receive a diagnosis of mesothelioma ordinarily view the news as a death sentence. In most cases, the disease results in death in one or two years. In a happy exception to these data, a North Carolina nurse recently reported that she has survived a case of peritoneal mesothelioma for 16 years.
